Merrill
} |name = Merrill |image = Merrill Portrait.png |px = 270px |gender = Female |race = Elf |class = Mage |specialization = Dalish Pariah |title = Marethari's First (formerly) |location = Dalish Camp - (Origins) Sundermount - (Dragon Age II) |quests = Dalish Elf Origin - (Origins) Long Way Home Welcome Home Nice Crime You Have Around Here Consoling Words Mirror Image Back From Sundermount Questioning Beliefs (Merrill) Merrill, An Apology Wooden Halla The New Place A Talking To A New Path Merrill, Friend or Foe? |voice = Erin Matthews - (Origins) Eve Myles - (Dragon Age II) |appearances = Dragon Age: Origins Dragon Age II }} Merrill is a Dalish elven mage and First to the Keeper of the Sabrae clan. She is a temporary companion in the Dalish Elf Origin in Dragon Age: Origins and a companion and romance option for a male or female Hawke in Dragon Age II. Background Merrill was born into the Alerion clan, which wandered the hills of Nevarra. She was the third child of the clan with magic born to her. Following the next Arlathvenn, the gathering of Dalish clans, she was given to the Sabrae clan to be First to Keeper Marethari.Codex Entry: Merrill. "Dragon Age Wiki". Retrieved 2011-02-10. Merrill can recite all of known elven history and navigate the Fade, but she has very little experience with the world or even her own people. Forced to flee north she must find help for her people, whatever the cost.Priestly, Chris. "Merrill Appreciation Thread". BioWare Social Network. Retrieved 2011-02-10. Involvement Dragon Age: Origins is a temporary party member in the Dalish Elf Origin. When Tamlen goes missing in old ruins, the Keeper asks Merrill to accompany The Warden to help find him. Marethari believes that Merrill's magic and knowledge of elven lore may help in the search. Tamlen cannot be recovered, but Merrill does not appear to contract the sickness that affects the Dalish elf in the course of the search, and she continues to live with the clan. If a save from Dragon Age: Origins is imported with a Dalish Origin Character to Dragon Age 2, Merrill will express her discomfort around humans since her friend was taken away. }} Dragon Age II Romance Merrill feels terrible as she remembers the recent turn of unfortunate events, especially Pol's death. Though she doubts that leaving her clan was the right decision, she does not regret it; she would not have known Hawke better if she stayed. She admires Hawke's leadership, and ponders how differently things would be for the People if Hawke was Dalish, commenting that they would likely have a new kingdom by now. With a male Hawke, Merrill is troubled by the thought of their forbidden love; she believes the Keeper and her clan would object to the union because Hawke is human, since she is supposed to preserve who they are as one of the elvhen. But in the end, their love for one another is more important than the clan's disapproval.}} Calming down, Merrill asks for Hawke's apology. Though she appreciates that Hawke is keeping her from harm, Merrill warns that she is beyond redemption. She also adds that staying near her may cost the lives of the people close to Hawke. Yet despite their differences, Hawke stands by her.}} In both variations of the romance, if Hawke is female, Merrill expresses her feelings of wishing she was as perfect as Hawke was, and states that she admires Hawke's cleverness and beauty (as additions). After the love scene, Hawke asks if Merrill could stay at the estate, her new future home, so that they be with each other. Despite the controversy it might cause, she happily agrees. But Merrill does not move in completely; if Hawke checks on Bodahn, he suggests that "something" keeps her going back to her house. He often reports to Hawke of her absence upon entering the estate. If Hawke speaks with Isabela sometime later after the intimate relationship with Merrill has begun, she asks if Hawke is sincere with Merrill, as they are close friends. Isabela is glad if Hawke confirms he/she has feelings for her, since she notes Merrill always seemed "a little lonely". With a male Hawke, Isabela threatens to harm Hawke if he does anything nasty to Merrill. Varric also shares his thoughts about them being together. Finishing the long search and ending Quentin's madness, Hawke returns home devastated. Merrill arrives and consoles Hawke, grieving silently for the loss. During the siege of Kirkwall, Merrill expresses her concern for Hawke's safety if she is brought along on the battle against the Qunari. Three years later, Hawke shares the estate with Merrill, adjusting to the new home she just moved in to. However, she often visits her house in the Alienage to continue her construction of the Eluvian. Hawke drops by to assess her situation, where Merrill explains the Eluvian remains dormant, despite her best efforts. Merrill says Audacity may have knowledge of the mirror because the only creatures who would be old enough to have witnessed its forging are the denizens of the Fade. She explains that Audacity has been silent when she tried to communicate with it recently, and expresses concern over this development, since it's supposed to be sealed in a totem atop Sundermount. Merrill implores Hawke to aid in her endeavor. She also asks the Champion to kill her if something goes wrong, and she becomes possessed. Following their face-off against the demon at Pride's End, the Dalish hunters are looking for Marethari, and approach them with resentment. Regardless of how Hawke handles the confrontation with the clan, Merrill feels alone and rejected as a result. Whether the clan was killed or not, she desires to move on, and asks Hawke for advice on her future course of action. Merrill can become jealous if Hawke flirts with Zevran. She utters her dislike for him after their meeting with the Crows. As Hawke helps out Anders gather sela petrae for his "potion", he questions their relationship. He argues that she will always give in to her weakness. Hawke contests his reproach, and Merrill retorts that Anders should examine himself more closely instead. Merrill can be kidnapped by the activists of the conspiracy set up by Thrask. With only Hawke in her mind during her captivity, she is grateful for her rescuer and lover. The romance strengthens and flourishes further as they have one moment alone before the final battle. Expressing that the whole incident feels like a dream, Merrill is comforted by Hawke, promising that they will get through this together. Ending their conversation, they kiss amiably. As Varric concludes the tale of the Champion, he says that all of the companions have parted ways, but Merrill and Hawke remain beside each other. Alternatively, the Champion who sided with the Templars may choose to kill Merrill even if she is romanced. Merrill bitterly says before death that she did not expect such actions from Hawke. }} Friendship and Rivalry Merrill's friendship can be gained by: * Helping the mages or the elves. * Choosing options that favor blood magic or demons. * By being agreeable to her in conversation. Rivalry with Merrill can generally be earned by contradicting the "hows" of developing a friendship with her, as mentioned above. Quests Dragon Age: Origins Dragon Age II Act 1 Act 2 (gift) Act 3 (gift) Mark of the Assassin * Merrill is the only companion who has no quest in this DLC. Gifts * Halla Carving * Sylvanwood Ring Initial statistics Dragon Age: Origins *'Class:' Mage *'Specialization: ' NA *'Starting spells/skills:' Herbalism, Combat Tactics ** Skills: Combat Tactics **'Mage:' Arcane Bolt **'Primal:' Flame Blast, Flaming Weapons **'Entropy:' Weakness Dragon Age II *'Class:' Mage *'Specialization: ' Dalish Pariah Talent trees * Elemental * Primal * Spirit * Arcane * Entropy Gear Dragon Age: Origins Dragon Age II Merrill's armor, Vestments of the First, can be upgraded four times: * Act 2: Samite Lining, purchased at Robes by Jean Luc in Hightown; adds an extra rune slot. * Act 2: Carved Ironwood Buttons, purchased at Master Ilen's Shop in Sundermount; increases health. * Act 2: Silver-Threaded Dalish Embroidery, found at the top of Sundermount's Mountain Graveyard; +20 health regeneration rate. * Act 3: Halla Horn Buckles, looted during A New Path; adds an extra rune slot. }} Companion-Restricted Gear (requires Mage Item Pack 1 DLC) (requires Mage Item Pack 2 DLC) Quotes * (Long Way Home) "I'll try not to hit anyone. On our side, I mean. I'm babbling again. Let's go." * (Wayward Son) "It will be your humanity that marks you among the people, not your magic." * (Family Matter) "But that's awful! I had no idea priesthood was so dangerous!" * (Mirror Image) "She has a disappointed frown that turns your bones into jelly! Please help me! You will, won't you?" * (On The Loose) "Walking is not so bad. Even mages need exercise." * (A New Path) "Creators, please let this be a bad dream! I'll wake up and feel like an idiot, and she'll scold me for not listening..." * (Memento of the Dalish) "Guarding a clan from the Dread Wolf... is a Keeper's place." * (The Last Straw) "Magic can't be made safe and it can't be destroyed. Fear makes men more dangerous than magic ever could". * (The Last Straw) "(laughs) The Champion of Kirkwall going to battle naked. Why can't I ever have that dream?" * (Legacy (quest)) "This is good, right? We're making progress!" * (Mark of the Assassin (quest)) "I know I'm Dalish, but I'm not really the most qualified hunter." Trivia * Mary Kirby wrote Merrill for Dragon Age II.Kirby, Mary. "Merrill Appreciation Thread". BioWare Social Network. Retrieved 2011-01-10. * According to David Gaider, Eve Myles was last on the list of "actors I specifically asked for and got on the first try".Gaider, David. "Merrill Appreciation Thread". BioWare Social Network. Retrieved 2011-01-11. * Merrill means shining sea in Irish Gaelic. * If you give Merrill the Halla Carving bought from Master Ilen's Shop in Act 2, it will be on display on the table beside the door to her home in Act 3 and the rest of Act 2. * Although Marethari warns the members of the Sabrae clan that Merrill may bring back the taint, she remains uncorrupted in her handling of the shard for several years (after successfully cleansing it of the taint with a spell amplified by blood magic), while the elves in Witch Hunt who came in contact with the remaining shards in the Elven Ruins turned into ghouls. * Despite claiming that Audacity would escape through the restored Eluvian, Marethari never reveals how she came to this conclusion, especially when her argument in Act II against this course of action was entirely different. Morrigan's revelation in Witch Hunt about the Eluvians serving as a doorway to a place "beyond this world, and beyond the Fade" call into question the validity of Marethari's claim. * In spite of her blood magic, Merrill seems to have been taken under the wings of several of her new friends: ** Varric calls her "Daisy" affectionately and is repeatedly referenced to have bribed any would-be attackers whenever she took any side alley routes around Kirkwall and he gave her a ball of twine when she first moved to the city so she could find her way around. ** Isabela calls her "Kitten" and tells her several things about being "a lady" (seduction tips, how to strut, ect) as well as helping her with issues she isn't familiar with, because of her cultural differences with humans. Should a male Hawke enter into a relationship with Merrill, Isabela will threaten to "cut off his balls" if he hurts her. *In some of Carver/Merril and Carver/Isabela conversations, there is a hint that Carver may have a thing for Merril. * Mike Laidlaw said at PAX East 2013, that Merrill fixing the mirror was a 'bad call'."Notes on Bioware (PAX East)." Bugs * Upon returning to the alienage after completing Long Way Home, selecting the option "I don't think so." when asked if you wish to stop by later and flirting with her during Welcome Home may lead to a bug with her approval for Hawke, making it impossible to gain any friendship or rivalry points with Merrill henceforth. Note: It has also been noted that this bug randomly occurs even if you select the "I Will." option and later flirt with her. You'll know it's not working because you'll gain no friendship after all friendly and flirt dialogue options have been concluded in Welcome Home. If this does happen, simply reload and do not select the flirt option when chatting with Merrill in Welcome Home. This initial flirt is fortunately not required to begin a romance. * If the sibling either joined the Wardens or died during the expedition, the quest "Mourning" was supposed to take place.Kirby, Mary (2011). "Merrill - She's a Keeper!". BioWare Social Network. Retrieved January 24, 2012. However, it has since been cut from the game, but may reappear if the game has not been patched.Barrett, Luke (2011)."Patch 1.03 - Planning and Prioritization". BioWare Social Network. Retrieved January 24, 2012. * There have been some cases where, during the sex scene between her and Hawke, some graphical issues occur. Such reports claim that the two characters abruptly show up standing idly at the entrance to the Hawke estate, both in their intimate attire. The dialogue wheel, however, is still present and choosing any option will promptly fix the bug, placing the characters in their proper place and the scene will proceed normally. * During Act 3, the Questioning Beliefs involving Merrill's reaction to the end of A New Path will occur, even before you completed the quest, where she is upset by the death of her clan's Keeper. It can be worked around, but is messing with the chronological order of the related quests. (2, 1, 3). * In Act 3, when initiating A New Path, it seems that if you are on a path of rivalry with Merrill, she will mention you keeping the arulin'holm from her, even if you gave it to her. * If her clan is wiped out after her personal quest A New Path, she is stuck to your party, being locked forever. This can be fixed by either taking another quest where a party member is locked in, such as Sebastian's Faith, or by returning home to the Hawke estate. Both methods will remove all current party members, restoring Merrill's unlocked status. * With patch 1.03, some of the Act 3 romance scenes may not trigger properly, but the flow will proceed as planned. Gallery Merrill concept art.jpg|Concept art for Dragon Age II Merrill 02.png|Merrill fighting templars DA2_Merrill_looking_back_over_her_shoulder_(cutscene).jpg|Merrill looking over her shoulder Codex entries References External links * Short story on Merrill in Dragon Age II by Mary Kirby Category:Characters Category:Dragon Age: Origins characters Category:Dragon Age II characters Category:Companions Category:Temporary companions Category:Elves Category:Dalish elves Category:Nevarrans Category:Magi Category:Apostates Category:Blood mages